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The seventh annual Record Store Day event has come and gone, a celebration of both the independent retailer and the art of vinyl which after years relegated and somewhat consigned to history has over the last few years been making a steady return to form, agreed though it’ll never achieve its golden age high water mark of 1979. Of course RSD is, for the more scrupulous, a chance to usurp the genuine record buyer by nabbing all the exclusive limited editions and then having them posted up on eBay in super quick time at grossly inflated prices – avoid these clowns. The spirit of record store day is somewhat lost at times, no its not a chance for the major labels to rehash crap they can’t shift through the year its more a case of making people aware of their local record emporiums and ensuring that these places stay open, its about old school record buying – not your faceless download purchasing but actually getting off your arses visiting such a shop and asking for the blighters and then holding a real physical copy in your mits and not being passed off with some cheap bit rate reduced copy. These shops are a lifeline to the community, appreciated properly they become a focal resource for the local band scene and live circuits drawing likeminded people together – and they need your support. To sunny skies with a decidedly chilly nip in the air your erstwhile scribe – that’ll be me – spent the day happily manning the doors at Probe records (yes dear reader I was that handsome specimen of the male form laughing, joking and ripping your musical tastes) ensuring order, decorum and no fistfights in the bulging queue that stretched all the way to Prescott postcodes – I jest of course – though it did track back a fair old length of School Lane and I hasten to add continued as such for the best part of 4 hours. Reports had it that the chap heading up the front of the line had been eagerly waiting since 4am to get his Oasis and Paul Weller goodies. Probe opened its door at 8am in expectancy of a surge, Richer sounds were on hand to give out goodie bags with vouchers and all manner of offers as well as feeding the crowds with cookies and biscuit treats, at the counter the staff handed out assorted promos (including freebies from the bordellos, presents for sally, Dalmatian rex and the eigentones and a specially cobbled together Fruits de Mer sampler featuring selections from their forthcoming May selections), bottles of beers and sweets with purchases. With the racks packed with over 200 plus choice cuts – eye catching wise the Ray Parker glow in the dark ‘ghostbusters’ 12 inch, a pink vinyl pink panther OST, a dandy looking Trex box set as well as an Action and Creation box release all looked very tasty as did the Terminator foil sleeve 7 inch, the pixies double plus exclusive RSD 7 inch, there was rumour of a flaming lips release which went in nano seconds. There was of course the now obligatory annual appearances of a Bowie picture disc – this time ‘rock n’ roll suicide’ and a frankly massive rip off Pistols box – incidentally the PIL 12inch looked handsome as did the July repress and the space transmissions box set featuring Spiritualized – alas only one of the them. Albarn and Weller flew the coup before the 15 minute mark – had i gotten down earlier I’d have happily taken said Weller 7’s (just 2 as it happens) around the back and made a warm bonfire from the them. Coldplay had no interest at all from the amassed crowds. Most asked for – tame impala – again gone in the time it took to blink an eye, no Kylie alas and certainly no One Direction of whom a mother who had been queuing for over two hours haplessly enquired about for her daughter – I did feel some regret – honest – and to cap it off no sign of the Sun box set though there was the 4 track EP which by the time we left was still looking for a loving home while others that we missed to much grumbling was a by all accounts dandy looking Everly Brothers box set with six albums apparently pressed on to 45 rpm grooves. The morning passed with good cheer and so we now look forward to what’s hoped will be the second cassette store day in September.